Rahul Gandhi, a politician from India's main opposition party Congress, has been questioned by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his level of understanding affairs related to defence.
Gandhi has been quite vocal in criticising the BJP-led central government since the national lockdown was put in place on various issues, including the latest face-off between the Indian and Chinese armies in the Galwan Valley in which India lost 20 soldiers during the night of 15-16 June.
In a video clip, he had recently accused the central government of sending the soldiers unarmed during the India-China face off. "Why were our soldiers sent unarmed to martyrdom," he tweeted.
On Monday, BJP chief J.P. Nadda questioned the defence acumen of Gandhi and his party, accusing them of pursuing dynastic politics.
Gandhi was president of the Indian National Congress party from 16 December 2017 to 3 July 2019.
Hitting out at Gandhi for questioning the army's valour and demoralising them, Nadda said, "Rahul Gandhi does not attend a single meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence. But sadly, he continues to demoralise the nation, question the valour of our armed forces and do everything that a responsible opposition leader should not do."
Rahul Gandhi does not attend a single meeting of Standing Committee on Defence. But sadly, he continues to demoralise the nation, question the valour of our armed forces and do everything that a responsible opposition leader should not do.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 6, 2020
The BJP president then took a jibe at Congress party for its dynastic politics, accusing the organisation of not letting other leaders with a better understanding of parliamentary affairs come forward.
"Rahul Gandhi belongs to that glorious dynastic tradition where as far as defence is concerned, committees don’t matter, only commissions do. Congress has many deserving members who understand parliamentary matters but one dynasty will never let such leaders grow. Really sad."
Rahul Gandhi belongs to that glorious dynastic tradition where as far as defence is concerned, committees don’t matter, only commissions do.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 6, 2020
Congress has many deserving members who understand parliamentary matters but one dynasty will never let such leaders grow. Really sad.
With prima facie reports of Chinese occupying Indian territory, the federal government has clarified that not an inch of Indian land has been taken by the Chinese troops. However, the former opposition party leader expressed scepticism about that statement.
Ladakhis say:
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2020
China took our land.
PM says:
Nobody took our land.
Obviously, someone is lying. pic.twitter.com/kWNQQhjlY7
Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Rahul Gandhi recently said that the government's policies and its failure to tackle the menace will be studied by the Harvard Business School.
During the a conversation with US diplomat Nicholas Burns in June, the former Congress party president also accused the federal government of taking decisions unilaterally and imposing a "hard lockdown".
